In a first reaction to the arrest of Tamil Nadu LoP and CMK leader Udhyanidhi Stalin, his father and former state CM MK Stalin launched a sharp attack on the Vijay government, calling it a ‘joker cabinet’.
Lashing out at CM Vijay, he called him an ‘inept dummy Chief Minister.’ In a long statement, senior Stalin accused the government of failing to raise the Cauvery issue while farmers ‘shed tears in agony.’
“An inept dummy Chief Minister can’t bring Cauvery water, can’t even speak up to stop the Mekedatu dam; farmers are shedding tears in agony, yet ministers and the Chief Minister are the ones weeping over the movie he acted in-a Joker cabinet has taken hold in Tamil Nadu,” MK Stalin charged with a barrage of accusations.
Speaking about Udhyanidhi’s arrest, MK Stalin said that the government was trying to conceal its failure with the brazen act.
“In a bid to conceal the government’s glaring failure on the Cauvery issue by diverting attention from the problem itself, a police contingent arrived at Opposition Leader Udhayanidhi’s residence this morning and arrested him in a brazen manner. Without a care for his status as Leader of the Opposition, the TVK government arrested him and whisked him away to Thanjavur. By filing cases across various sections, they seek to intimidate Udhayanidhi,” he added.
“From the moment he assumed office, instead of striving to fulfil promises, Chief Minister Vijay, content to roam as a mere reels creator, must now awaken to his responsibilities and act accordingly,” senior Stalin added.
Stalin added that the arrest was intended to keep the LoP away from the House. “The Assembly convenes tomorrow. They are set to present the financial statement. At that time, the cabinet-eligible Opposition Leader must be present in the House. Yet, intent on ensuring he isn’t, they have initiated this action,” he said.
In a sharp warning to Vijay, the former Tamil Nadu CM stated, “Arrogance paves the way for destruction; persistent arrogance hastens destruction!”
Udhyanidhi arrested; released after High Court intervention
Udhyanidhi Stalin was arrested by the Chennai Police from his residence on Tuesday after his controversial remarks against actor Trisha triggered an FIR. While addressing a crowd over the Cauvery dispute, Stalin slammed CM Vijay for his alleged silence on the issue. Meanwhile, the crowd started chanting ‘Trisha, Trisha’. The Tamil Nadu LoP responded with a double-meaning remark.
Udhyanidhi, however, had clarified that the remarks were related to the Cauvery water. The remarks, however, drew legal action as Stalin junior was arrested on Monday. The matter reached the Madras High Court, which directed the release of the DMK leader today after questioning.
The court also directed Udhayanidhi to cooperate with the investigation whenever required. He was later released by the Chennai Police.